C&C

[Kaytlin]

Hey guys! I would like to get some C&C on my pictures. I recently (yesterday) went to the zoo and I thought it would be a good photo opportunity. Well, it wasn't really because half the time the animals were way too far away and my point and shoot cant zoom without losing practically all of the photo quality, so it turns into a blurry mess. Also, some of the birds had a wire mesh-like cage, so I couldn't get a good picture without pressing the camera up against the bars of the cage to get rid of the lines from the wire. Anyways, a ton came out bad, but they had a bird room where the birds flew freely, and you could buy food to feed them. The birds were so unafraid they would let you get really close because they expected food. That's where I got my only good animal shots.

1.)

09 17 11_0555_edited-1.JPG by kaytlin34, on Flickr
(Can someone help on how to make the background a bit more blurry? I want the bird more in focus and the background more oof. Im using photoshop elements 7)

2.)

09 17 11_0488_edited-1.JPG by kaytlin34, on Flickr

3.)

09 17 11_0575_edited-1.JPG by kaytlin34, on Flickr

 

[MTVision]

Does elements 7 have the gaussian blur filter? If so you should be able to blur background with that. You should look up some Photoshop elements 7 tutorials. Search for exactly what you want to do.

 

[Kaytlin]

I dont know, I will have to look, but I have been looking up tutorials a lot, though I can never seem to find it, though I havnt looked up exactly that, so thanks for the suggestion!

 

[tevo]

There should be a blur filter in Photoshop.. you can simulate shallow DoF, but make sure you understand what parts would be OOF, as to maintain realism. Composition on #1 was pretty good. #2 is cliche'd(ish) imo, and #3 has boring composition, nice DoF though.

 

[Kaytlin]

Thank you, the bird photos were rather hard to take. They are so unafraid, one of them was trying to peck at the camera the whole time, so my dad had to distract it while I snapped the picture. Number two I just took because it had a K and thats my first innitial. Third, I just liked the flowers, they were so pretty, and my DoF came out good, so I liked it. I wish that maybe I could have gotten one with a bee or butterfly.

 

[marmots]

here's my quick edit

 

[Kaytlin]

Yah, thats what I was planning on doing, but my brother took over the computer with photoshop, so I will have to go back and so that later.

 

[yournewaesthetic]

Wow that bird shot is beautiful. The bad thing about point and shoot cameras is you can't control the focus... which would have come in handy on your picture of the 'K'.

 

[tevo]

Wow that bird shot is beautiful. The bad thing about point and shoot cameras is you can't control the focus... which would have come in handy on your picture of the 'K'.

This ^^

Although you can sometimes manipulate your AF if the situation allows for it

 

[Kaytlin]

Yah, I have differant settings that I use so that the focus is better, but sometimes if it doesnt autofocus right you get a more blurry shot. With the bird shot I think I actually used a macro setting, which isnt very good because you still have to be a considerable distance away. It does bring out great colors, which I wanted with the bird.

 

[Kaytlin]

Bump! Anyone else want to comment? I would love any help I could get!

 

[tevo]

bump up my fellow photographer's p​ost!

 

[Kaytlin]

Bump! come on people! Comment!

 

[edinchez]

I'm really loving that first shot. Although as suggested, the background could use some more blurring. Second one is pretty good, but the third one has a bit boring composition.

 

[Kaytlin]

Yes I have been playing with photoshop to acheive the blurring, I might post it later tonight or tomorow. I have heard the same about the last one, and I do agree. i think its a pretty shot of flowers, just not super interesting.